LOCATION VENUSITE CA
Established Series
REV: LJL/PBF/ET
12/2015
VENUSITE SERIES
The Venusite series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in granitic alluvium. The Venusite soils are on alluvial fans and fan aprons. Slope ranges from 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 5 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 64 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, nonacid, thermic Typic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: On Venusite-Uxo association, 2 to 15 percent slopes at an elevation of 3,550 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on August 13, 1997, the soil was dry throughout.) The soil surface is partially covered by 60 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles, and 4 percent stones.
A -- 0 to 3 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine roots throughout; noneffervescent; 60 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles, and 4 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bw -- 3 to 10 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots throughout; noneffervescent; 40 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
C1 -- 10 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; moderately hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine roots throughout; noneffervescent; 50 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary.
C2 -- 23 to 32 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine roots throughout; noneffervescent; 45 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
C3 -- 32 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) stratified extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand and extremely gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; noneffervescent; 45 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 1,800 feet east and 2,000 feet north of the SW corner of sec. 12, T. 16 N., R. 3 E.; 35 degrees, 29 minutes, and 13 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 36 minutes, and 43 seconds west longitude, Drinkwater Lake 7.5 minute quadrangle; UTM 11S, 0535228e 3926688n (DATUM: NAS-C).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section: Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October following convection storms. The soils have a Typic-Aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 63 to 68 degrees F.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent
Surface rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent rock fragments; 60 to 80 percent gravel, 0 to 1 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones
Control section -
Clay content: 5 to 12 percent
Effervescence: noneffervescent above 20 inches
Rock fragments: 35 to 65 percent
A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth: loamy coarse sand, coarse
sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: range is 60 to 80 percent; with 60 to
80 percent gravel, 0 to 1 percent cobbles, and 0 to 4
percent stones
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bw horizon
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture of the fine earth: loamy sand, or coarse
sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: range is 30 to 45 percent; with 30 to
45 percent gravel, 0 to 1 percent cobbles, and 0 to 1
percent stones
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
C horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth: stratified loamy coarse sand
and coarse sand, coarse sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 4 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: range is 35 to 70 percent; with 35 to
60 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10
percent stones
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Effervescence: noneffervescent or very slightly
effervescent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Fig (T AZ),
Nolena (T NV), and
Wikieup (T AZ) series. Fig soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 4 to 20 inches. In addition, Fig soils are moist in some part of the soil moisture control section for more than 20 days cumulative between July and September. Nolena and Wikieup soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 inches or less. In addition, Wikieup soils are moist in some part of the soil moisture control section for more than 20 days cumulative between July and September.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Venusite soils are on alluvial fans and fan aprons. Slope ranges from 2 to 15 percent. The soils formed in material from granitic alluvium. Elevations are 3,200 to 4,000 feet. The climate is arid, with hot, dry summers and warm winters. Most precipitation comes in the winter but in some areas it is sporadic. The mean annual precipitation is 4 to 7 inches. The mean annual temperature is 61 to 66 degrees F. Mean July temperature is about 78 degrees F., and mean January temperature is about 42 degrees F. The frost-free season is 240 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Khyber (T), and
Uxo (T) soils. Khyber soils are on fan remnants and have argillic horizons. Uxo soils are on similar landscape positions and have coarse-loamy particle-size control sections.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very low or low runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Venusite soils are used for military exercises and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly creosotebush, Nevada ephedra, California buckwheat, blackbrush and desert needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Fort Irwin Soil Survey Area, 2000. The name is from a dish antenna site on NASA/JPL's Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)
Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2000. ET
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.